Univ Georgia studyBy comparing the before and after results of these eight courses, the study found that switching to OER increased the number of A and A-minus grades students received by 5.50 percent and 7.73 percent, respectively. The number of students who withdrew or were awarded D or F grades (known as the DFW rate) fell by 2.68 percent.
Watson believes the UGA study is the “first of its kind” to consider at scale the impact OER might have on students of differing socioeconomic statuses.
One of the questions the study set out to answer was whether the use of OER might be of particular benefit to students who are eligible for federal financial aid, who are nonwhite or who are enrolled part-time. While overall course grades improved for all students, the study found that DFW rates “decreased dramatically for the student populations we hypothesized would benefit the most from free textbooks.”